Sweden’s deputy prime minister to lead international alliance on chemicals

Sweden’s recently appointed deputy prime minister, Isabella Lövin, will lead an alliance of ministers that are seeking to push for a global agreement on managing chemicals and waste.

The ministerial alliance, launched last year by former Swedish environment and climate minister Karolina Skog, wants to see the adoption for chemicals of something similar to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The alliance’s leadership was in question when Sweden was unable to come to an agreement on forming a government following the country’s elections in September last year. Breaking the deadlock last month, Sweden’s parliament gave the social democratic leader Stefan Löfven a second term in office.

A government spokesperson has confirmed to Chemical Watch that the alliance will now be led by the new deputy prime minister and Ms Skog’s replacement, Isabella Lövin. Like Ms Skog, Ms Lövin is a politician in the Swedish Green Party.